Folding furniture



NTOR.

.@ ATTORNEY.

June 13, 1933. w. 0. BROWN FOLDING FURNITURE Filed Oct. 12, 1952 1 I. I I I: v M 7112 1 ial' v 9 Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER 0. BROWN, DETROIT, MICHIGAN FOLDING FURNITURE Application filed October 12, 1932. Serial No. 637,373.

acter in which the supporting legs are insertible in sockets in the supporting surface and are held therein under spring pressure thereby permitting the article of furniture to be lifted from the floor without having the legs become disengaged from the socket.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a chair in which the back may be folded down against the upper surface of the seat and in which the legs may be folded against the lower surface of the seat thereby permitting the folded chair to be placed in a relatively small space.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a piece of furniture in which the supporting legs are in the form of runners permitting the piece of furniture to he slid over the floor without damaging the surface thereof. 1

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a piece of furniture of this character in which the brackets pivotally supporting the legs and back are provided wlth means for holding the legs in their folded position permitting the article of furniture to be lifted without having the legs or back move by gravity from their folded position. Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a piece of furniture of this character which is neat and attractive in design and which is of extremely rigid construction and which may be easily set up from its folded position or easily and quicklv folded from its extended position.

These objects and the several novel features of the invention are hereinafter more fully described and claimed and the preferred form of construction by which these objects are attained is shown in the accompanying drawing in which.-

showing the back and legs in their folded position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig.1. i

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of one of the brackets.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the sockets.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen that the supporting surface 1, which is here shown as being the seat of a chair, is preferably made of wood and is suitably shaped to provide anattractive design.-

The back 2 is preferably made from metal tubing and is in the form of an inverted U and comprises the legs 3 and the connecting ,member 4. A slot 5 is formed in each of the legs 3 adjacent the lower end thereof and by referring more particularly to Fig. 4 it will be noted that the metal adjacent the 7 edges of the slots is curved inward-1y providing a smooth finished surface for guiding the pin 6 carried in the bracket 7. The-bracket 7 comprises the circular base 8 and the upstanding ears 9, and is preferably secured to the seat 1 by means of the screws 10 extending through the base 8. The base 8 is provided approximately centrally thereof with an aperture 11 for permitting the insertion of the lower end of the leg 3 therethrough. The seat 1 is formed with the apertures 12 extending therethrough for receiving the ferrules 13 and '14 the adjacent ends of the same being spaced a slight distance apart as shown more clearly in Fig. 4. The seat 1 adjacent the ends of the aperture 12 is formed with the recesses'lti and 16 for receiving the respective flanges 17 and 18 of the ferrules 13 and 14. Each of the ferrules in the longitudinal portion thereof is formed with the slot-s19 and by referring more particularly to Fig. 6 it will be seen that the end of the ferrule opposite the flanged end is slightly contracted in order to grip the end of the leg 3 under spring tension when the leg is inserted therehas shown in Fig. 4.

The tension between the end of the leg 3 and the ferrule is sufficiently great to permit the parts to retain their relationship as shown in Fig. 4 when the chair is lifted by from the floor.

the back 2. By holding the seat-1, however, and pulling the back 2 upwardly therefrom the leg may be disengaged from the ferrule and the back laid down on the upper surface of the chair as shown in Fig. 2. The legs 20 are also made of metal tubing and each comprises the vertically extending portions 21 and the horizontal portion 22. The ends of the portions 21 are insertible in the ferrules 14 and are held in place therein by the pressure exerted by the ferrules. The brackets to which the portions 21 are pivotally secured are identical with the brackets 7 heretofore described and it will be seen that by holding the seat 1 and exerting a downward pull on the legs 20 the ends ofthe same Will be disengaged from their respective ferrules permitting the legs to be folded against the lower surface of the seat 1, as is illustrated in Fig. 2. It will be understood that the pressure exerted by the ferrules on the ends of the legs will be suflicient to prevent the legs dropping by gravity when the chair is raised Each of the upstanding ears 9 of the brackets 7 adjacent the outer ends thereof are formed with the protuberances 23 for holding the legs and. backin their folded position.

These protuberances also tend to hold the legs and back in their correct positions prior to insertion in their respective sockets. The

, pin 6 has a loose endwise fit between the ears that very little Wear Will take place on the pin 6 as the legs and back are moved to their extended and folded position.

From the foregoing description it becomes evident that I have provided an article of furniture such as a. chair or table which may be easily and quickly folded or moved to its extended position and which when folded will be relatively compact and in which the legs and back are held in their extended position under spring pressure permitting the device tobe lifted from the floor without having the parts become disengaged from their respective sockets.

Having thus fully described my invention. its utility and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is-- 1. An article of furniture comprising a supporting member having a pair of sockets opening through one face thereof, a bracket secured to said member at each socket. each having a pair of ears extending therefrom with the opening therebetween aligning with the respective opening in the supporting mememme ber, a pin extending between the ears of each bracket, a U shaped tubular member, the ends of which are adapted for insertion in theopening between the ears of the respective brackets and having oppositely disposed slots adjacent the ends through which the pin extends, the metal about the 'slots being inturned providing a wide bearing surface engaging the pin whereby the cutting of the pin by a sliding or turning movement of the leg thereon is avoided.

2. In an article of furniture including a supporting member having a socket, a bracket having an apertured base secured to the supporting member with the aperture thereof in alignment with the socket, a pair of oppositely disposed ears extending from the brapk;

- be moved longitudinally into and out of the socket and, when out of the socket, to be turned on the pin as an axis, the said ears having inturned portions engaging the slotted leg member to yieldably hold the same when turned on the pin to engage the supporting member.

In an article of furniture having a base member socketed to receive a leg element, the surface of the said socketed member being counterbored to a diameter greater than the socket to form a recess, a hollow member having a flange like base seating in the recess, and spring elements extending from the hollow member into the socket in a slightly spaced relation with the wall thereof to receive the end of the leg element, a bracket secured to said base member to hold the hollow member in position, said bracket having an aperture and a pair of ears extending outwardly from the bracket, said leg element having a slot, and a pin extending through the ears and the said slot, the arrangement permitting the leg member to be moved longitudinally into the socket and spring element therein or withdrawn therefrom and turned on the pin as a hinge.

4. In an article of furniture including a supporting member having a socket, a bracket laying an apertured base secured to the supporting member with the aperture thereof in alignment with the socket, a pair of ears extending from the bracket on the opposite sides of the aperture and in alignment with the aperture and socket, a member having a slot adjacent to the end thereof, a pin extending between the ears and through the slot of the said member permitting the same to be moved longitudinally into and out of the socket and when out of the socket to be turned on the pin as an axis, said ears having inturned lugs adjacent their free ends and on opposite sides thereof engaging over the said slotted member when turned on the pin to lie in engagement with the supporting member, and a spring friction device in the socket and engaging the end the leg member when moveoi inte the socket to hold; the same from lateral 5 displacement, the parts being so arranged. that the base of the bracket maintains the spring member in place in the socket In testimony whereof I- sign this specificatime,

WALTER 0 BRO. 

